Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
When I parked outside of Leo and Lily’s, Hulk stood up from his chair on the front patio and walked over to meet me.
“How’d it go?”
“Smooth,” I replied, on the move. He fell into step beside me. “No fuckin’ clue if she’ll pop up again like herpes, but I doubt it.”
“And the contract is gone?”
“Gray watched her cancel it.”
“Thank fuck,” he said with a sigh. “Be careful in there. They’re watchin’ a movie, and when I opened the door, they screamed at me to go away.”
I laughed but opened the door cautiously.
Lily, Frankie, and Harper were lined up on the couch, covered in blankets. On the coffee table were empty cans of soda, crackers, chips, and various candies. They didn’t even turn to look when I stepped into the house.
“This a private party?” I asked.
Harper jumped off the couch so fast she got tangled in the blanket and nearly tripped over the coffee table. Within seconds her body collided with mine.
“Hey, baby,” I murmured into her neck.
“Is it over?” she asked, her arms like a vise around my neck.
“It’s over.”
“And I won’t have to press my boobs to any glass?”
“You won’t have to press your tits to any glass,” I confirmed.
“Thank God.” She held me for a long time, and when she finally let go, it was only to kiss me long and wet.
“I’m free!” she announced, throwing her arms in the air as she spun toward the women. “You’re free! We can go shopping! We can go to a restaurant! We can go to that little place where you drink and paint!”
“Which one do you want to do first?” I asked, chuckling.
“Your house,” Harper replied, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I’m going to call Gray,” Frankie said, folding the blanket she was using. “Then I’ll help clean all this up.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Lily waved her off.
“I’m going to pack a bag,” Harper said, spinning toward the stairs. She raced up them like her ass was on fire.
I walked over to help Lily gather up the garbage.
“It went okay?” she asked.
“All good,” I replied. “Harper’s safe.”
“Thank God,” she said with a sigh. “I knew you’d do it, but the waiting was starting to get to me.”
“It’s always worse on the waitin’ end,” I commiserated as we carried the trash into the kitchen.
“But now everything can go back to normal,” she announced with a small smile. “Except I hear my daughter is moving out again.”
I winced. I thought we’d agreed Harper wouldn’t say anything until I was back. You know, after I talked to her dad and convinced him that it was the right move.
“You’re lucky she told me,” Lily said. “Because I had a chance to convince Leo that it was a good thing.”
“Thanks for that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably.
“We like you, Bas,” she said, smiling. “We’ve always liked you. The fact that you love our daughter only amplifies it.”
“Good to know.”
“Of course, her staying in Eugene for good also helps us like you even more,” she joked.
“I bet.”
“I haven’t noticed that any of the last few weeks is bothering her, but you’ll keep an eye on it, right?” Lily asked, grabbing a rag to wipe down the already clean kitchen counter.
“Of course.”
“It could pop up at any time.”
“I know.”
“And we don’t do that bullshit toughing-it-out stuff in this family. We see therapists when we need to.”
“Understood.”
“Good.”
“I’m ready,” Harper said, jogging down the stairs. “Mom, I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“You better go say goodbye to your dad first,” Lily warned. “Where’s Frankie?”
“Already said goodbye to Frankie,” Harper replied. “She’s packing her bag. Gray’s already home. I’ll go say goodbye to Dad now.”
She practically flew out the back door to find Leo.
“I should be offended,” Lily snickered. She turned to me. “Family dinner once a week. You’re expected to attend and bring Harp.”
“I can do that.”
“I’m going to make Gray and Frankie come, too.”
“Only fair,” I replied, my lips twitching.
“Take care of my girl,” she said, her eyes on mine.
“Always.”
“Said goodbye to Dad,” Harper said as she flew back in the door. She hurried over to hug Lily and then turned to me. “Let’s go.”
An hour later, I was lying on my back in the middle of my bed, Harper draped over me like a blanket, trying to catch my breath.
“It just keeps getting better and better,” she said, patting my arm. “Maybe you should go out of town more often.”
“Nah,” we both said at the same time.
Eventually, she slid to my side and propped her chin on her hand, her other arm thrown across my stomach.
“So, I don’t really have any stuff,” she said. “I thought I should put that out there.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, curling my arm under my head so I could see her better.
“Well, I’ve been living out of suitcases since I got out of college. My apartments were always furnished.”